


Murky Sunshine

by Starsintheireyes



Category: Coronation Street
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Kana - Freeform, kinda angsty tho, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 01:44:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13625916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starsintheireyes/pseuds/Starsintheireyes
Summary: Rana is counting down the days until this “marriage” is over, not knowing if she can get through a year. Kate Connor isn’t exactly helping....





	1. Chapter 1

“I’ve said yes.”

Rana choked on her own tears, watching those words tumble past Zeedan’s lips. She opened her mouth to say something, anything in protest, but a sob came out instead. 

“P-please Zee. Let’s just talk about this-“

“There’s nothing left to talk about. End of discussion.”

He turned to go back inside, brushing Rana’s shoulder in the process. Her eyes followed him, but her feet stayed planted on the ground. A shiver ran through her, and she wrapped her arms around her body for warmth, for comfort. 

But she couldn’t help but wish it was another set of arms surrounding her instead. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was two, nearing 3 weeks when the tears finally started to recede. No longer spending her nights with damp cheeks, before she eventually drifted off in the early hours of the morning. 

Zeedan snored, it hadn’t bothered her before. But now she couldn’t sleep. 

She had become accustomed to the fake smiles and hand holding. Her palm sweaty from fear that someone would see straight through their facade. 

No one ever did, but she was still terrified. 

Her parents contacted her every now and then, mostly asking about Zee, how the business plans were coming along. Conversation rarely turned to her, how she was feeling. It didn’t matter, Rana didn’t want to talk about that anyway. She also didn’t want to break down over the phone, which she knew would eventually happen, when the cracks would widen. She held it together for the time being, furiously wiping away any stray tears that managed to escape whilst she was talking. 

Zee noticed, he didn’t say anything. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One month, two weeks and five days. Not that she’d been counting. 

Zee quit his job at the bistro in order to fully take control of the business. They’d found a nice place a little off the town centre, not too expensive either.  
Rana wasn’t too involved, she’d humour Zeedan by listening to his work stories, but she never really payed attention. Her mind wandering until he would click his fingers and bring her back to the present. With furrowed eyebrows he’d ask her what was wrong. 

“Nothing, just a little tired is all.” She’d say. 

He’d nod, and continue talking. 

It wasn’t until she bumped into Kate, 4 weeks into the deal, that she truly realised what situation she was in. They had been staying out of each other’s way for a while, something that was quite difficult to do when they lived on the same street. And when Rana’s ‘Husband’ worked at the same restaurant as her, much to his dismay. 

Rana had nipped over to Dev’s to buy a birthday card, though she usually went to the cabin. She was in a rush and found herself walking through the familiar doors. There was no one behind the counter, and for second Rana had thought she might’ve missed the ‘Closed’ sign. 

“I’ll be right out!” 

It was Dev’s voice , so she continued in her tracks, randomly scanning the card rack for something she could pick up. Her eyes landed on one, hand reached to grab it but it froze once she heard the door above the bell sound out. She turned her head, and lost all the breath in her lungs. 

Kate looked equally surprised, and Rana wondered whether she was thinking about simply walking back out. 

She wouldn’t blame her if she did. 

But no, Kate walked in, past Rana and straight up to the counter. She was looking for something, clearly, so Rana just stared. It had been a while since the two of them had been in a room together, alone, and Rana’s heart was beating too fast.  
She wondered if Kate could somehow hear it. 

Kate’s fingers tapped on the counter for a few seconds, before turning to face Rana who still hadn’t moved. 

“Have I got something on my face?” 

The question confused Rana, making her hand finally fall back down to her side. Her fingers began to fiddle with the edge of her coat, but she held Kate’s gaze. 

“No. Why’d you ask?” 

“You were just looking at me funny, that’s all.” Kate returned to her original position. 

The causality of the conversation almost made Rana weep. As if nothing had ever happened between them, apart from a few friendly greetings like most people on the street. As if they hadn’t spent months sending fleeting glances at each other during Rana’s visits to the bistro, As if Kate’s lips hadn’t trailed over every inch of her body, As if....

Rana shook her head, wishing more than anything that she’d gone to The Cabin instead.  
Not daring to spend another second in the presence of Kate Connor, she began to head out the shop before a voice stopped her in her tracks. 

“Weren’t you going to buy something?” 

Kate, intuitive as ever. Rana wanted to ignore her, carry on out the shop and not look back. But she was too weak. The past month had drained her, she had little fight left in her body. So without a thought, she spun around to face her. 

“Decided against it.” 

It was a simple answer, needing no follow up. But today wasn’t Rana’s lucky day. 

“Are you okay Rana, you just seem a bit-“ 

“Can we not do this? Please?” 

Rana shocked herself at her words, hating the scepticism that began to bury into Kate’s eyes. 

“Do what exactly?” Her tone was gentler than when the same words had been repeated mere months prior. 

“Pretend like you care, like we’re friends. We haven’t spoken in weeks Kate. Please can we not do this. I can’t do this.” 

Seeming to understand, she nodded, a grimace passing her lips. Guilt began to seep through Rana’s body once she saw Kate’s expression. The silence was awkward, uncomfortable, polar opposites to what it had been. To what Rana wished it still could be.

Knowing the conversation was over, Rana managed to walk out. 

She didn’t glance back. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three months, three weeks, and one day. Not that she was counting. 

That’s how long it took before she found herself, yet again, in an empty room with Kate Connor. 

Before that happened, Rana had spent the last two months doing everything in her power to avoid the brunette. Barely leaving the house except for family events, where again she brought out the well practised smile and not as sweaty palms. The weary state she constantly lived in had made her careless, not wondering whether people believed them anymore. She just didn’t care. 

Zeedan did, of course. The entire arrangement still supporting his livelihood, and effectively Rana’s. But, she didn’t care. She didn’t care if the entire street found out about this deal, and then about her affair. She didn’t care if her parents would be angry or frustrated at spending all that money for nothing. She just didn’t care. 

She had just over 8 months left to go. But it was less than four months in, and she was being driven crazy. She couldn’t bear the way Zee would snatch his hand back from hers, the second they were out of the public eye. Or how his looks towards her changed, from love to loathing. His eyes held no warmth anymore. 

She couldn’t remember if they ever had.

She stopped visiting him at the Bistro, not because he told her to, which he did, but because she thought it would take away the last shred of her sanity if she saw Kate more than once a week. 

So why she found herself sitting at the Bistro bar, half an hour before closing time, was surprising to her as well as Michelle. Who had been keeping a close eye since she’d walked in.  
Zeedan was out for the night, sorting out business plans with a connection of his. 

He had told Rana all about it. She hadn’t listened.

Her head was starting to spin a little, and she was regretting that last glass of red. A glass that had disappeared faster than she’d anticipated. When she called for another, Michelle was quick to interject. 

“I think that’s enough for one night darling. Why don’t you head home, get some shut eye. Zeedan must be wondering where you are.” 

The kindness in her voice made Rana feel guilty. The fact that she was being so nice to her, after everything that had happened, wasn’t helping her conscience. 

“Zee’s away for tonight. A business thing. So I thought I’d have a little fun.” Her words were a little slurred, and Michelle titled her head in sympathy. 

“Well I think the fun is over for tonight. I’m about to close up, I can walk you home if you like?” 

Rana shook her head, not wanting to burden the woman anymore than she already had. She told Michelle, ‘Thanks but I can manage’, and proceeded to hop off the stool, starting to collect her things. 

She wished the Bistro would just stop spinning, so she could think. Michelle noticed her hesitation, but said nothing. Though she managed to sober up in an instance, when the Bistro door opened without warning.

“Michelle are you here? I think I left-Rana.” 

Of course, the one night Zeedan had gone away. The one night Rana ventured out the house, was the one night she bumped into Kate. 

Though her face didn’t express shock or surprise, in fact her face didn’t express anything. She just glanced at Kate, the lack of emotion in her eyes scared the other woman slightly. Michelle looked between them, feeling the tension grow every second. 

“What’s up Kate?” She broke the silence, and Kate tore her eyes away from Rana to look at Michelle.

“Umm...I think I left my phone charger here. My phone was running out of battery and I um, couldn’t find it.” Speech was a difficultly for her in that moment, desperately trying not to stutter. 

“I’ll have a look for you, won’t be long.”

Kate easily could’ve gone looking for it herself, it probably would’ve made more sense. But Michelle, for some reason, wanted to put Kate in the most awkward situation. A situation she’d been trying to avoid for 3 months. 

Rana sat there, head in her hands, occasionally peering over at Kate who was shifting from foot to foot. Her hair was loose around her face, covering the prominent cheekbones. Rana wanted to reach out and brush the hair behind Kate’s ear, but not only would that be inappropriate, she was also too far away to reach. 

“You having fun?” Kate always broke the silence, hating how awkward it felt. 

Rana scoffed “Yeah tons.” 

The way they spoke to each other, was something Rana never could’ve imagined. They had been friends for a while, then lovers, their conversations flowed without question. Now they were broken and choppy, and bitterly cold. It made goosebumps litter Rana’s arms, as if a gust of wind had brushed up against her skin. 

“Rana.” The way Kate said her voice, made her stomach drop. She missed it, missed the loving tone that used to come with it. “Are you, are you okay?” 

Rana shook her head a little, and was about to open her mouth to answer when Kate spoken again. 

“I know you don’t want me to ask but...I do care about you Rana. What you said a few months ago, how you don’t want to pretend like we care about each other. I do care. You look...” 

She trailed off, unsure of how to finish. Not really knowing if there was a word to describe how Rana looked, other than utterly broken. And that was two words. 

“I just figured because you went back to Zeedan, that you two had been trying to make it work. At least, that’s how it’s looked to me. And I thought you’d be happy, but you don’t look happy.” 

The speech that was cascading out of Kate’s mouth, was unexpected. And Rana found herself falling in a trance as she spoke, missing the way Kate talked. Before she knew it, tears were running down her cheeks. Ones she had tried so hard to keep contained. 

“Kate, I...” 

She couldn’t. She couldn’t continue, the sobs cutting her off before she could. Kate didn’t need a reason, she took the few steps that were separating them, and wrapped Rana in her arms. 

Rana felt like she could actually breathe. Like these past few months, she had been holding her breath underwater and now; she had come up for air.  
She let herself fall into Kate’s grasp, pulling the girl impossibly closer until there was no space between them. Kate’s jacket became ridden with tears, but neither woman cared. 

The feeling of holding Rana in her arms was something Kate had been dreaming about, not that she’d tell anyone that. So she found herself breathing deeply in, taking in the smell of Rana’s familiar fruity shampoo. Some things just don’t change. 

It took a little while, but they both pulled back, staring at the look on each other’s faces. 

Kate was the first to speak. 

“What’s going on Rana? Tell me, please.” 

Rana couldn’t resist Kate when she used that voice. So she told her. 

She told her everything that had been going on, the contract, the business, her parents’ involvement. Each new statement leaving Kate more and more confused, not to mention angry as hell. As Rana sputtered, Kate grasped tighter and tighter onto her, as if her clutch would make all the bad things, that had happened to Rana, go away. 

Once Rana’s voice died down, Kate had fury burning a hole in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to march over to Rana’s house, and give her parents a piece of her mind. Zeedan as well.  
But looking at the shattered girl in front of her, she didn’t want to leave her side. 

“I can’t do this anymore Kate. I can’t last another 8 months with him, it’s breaking me apart. I’m losing my mind.” 

She leaned back into Kate, wanting her around her again, realising it was the only way she felt sane. 

“Rana. I just wish you could’ve told me sooner.” She ran a hand through Rana’s hair, loving the way she leaned into the touch. “I could’ve done something. Been a shoulder for you to cry on at least.” 

Rana laughed at the statement, given the current situation they were in. Kate’s jacket still damp from moments before. 

“I can’t bear to see you like this. It kills me, it’s been killing me for ages.” Kate could feel her own tears welling, but that wouldn’t do either of them any good so she blinked them back. “I just want to see that gorgeous smile of yours.” 

Kate’s wish was granted, though not for very long, it was enough for her. 

“We need to find a way to get you out of this mess. You can’t stay in that...relationship. You need to think about yourself, what you need.” 

Kate was staring deep into her eyes, it was almost entrancing. 

“But my parents. Zee-“ 

“It doesn’t matter about them, it matters about you. Forget them for a second, just think. What do you want Rana?”

She didn’t reply, at least not instantly. Instead she grasped the collar of Kate’s coat lightly, and pulled her so their foreheads were barely touching. Her thumb began to stroke soothing circles across her cheek, and her gaze fluttered. 

“I want...” She took a deep breath, gulping. “I want you.” 

Kate could smell alcohol on her breath, and her grasp was probably looser than Rana intended it to be, but it didn’t mean there was no shiver trailing up and down her spine. 

“You’re all I can think about Kate, every day in fact. I’m counting down the minutes until this year is over, because when it is, I can be with whoever I want to be. I can be with you.” 

Rana was terrified. She had just admitted her true feelings to a girl she had barely spoken to for the the past 3 months. 

But Kate didn’t run. 

She didn’t pull back, she didn’t grimace or furrow her eyebrows. She didn’t tilt her head in sympathy. She just smiled. A smile that Rana had forgotten even existed, in the dark cloud that was now her entire reality. She forgot there could be such beauty and happiness, until Kate smiled. 

And it made her smile, and want to laugh and cry all at the same time. Because it meant that Kate might feel the same, that she might’ve been harbouring the exact feelings Rana had been for months. That Kate could still love her, the way Rana did and never told her. 

So for the first time in what felt like years, there was hope for Rana. Hope that maybe her life didn’t have to be a murky grey. It could be filled with sunshine, and rainbows, and everything Kate Connor like.


	2. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here you go!

“Come back with me?” 

At those words, Rana lifted her head from Kate’s shoulder where it was currently perched. 

“What?” 

It had been silent for a few moments, both girls revelling in the others embrace. 

“Just for tonight. If you don’t want to go back to that house, you can come back to the flat with me. I have clothes you can borrow, and a spare toothbrush.” 

“Kate-“ 

“No, I understand if you don’t want to. But Alya’s gone to stay with a friend of the family for a few weeks, so it would just be us.”

Rana thought about it, really thought about it. She pictured the two of them curled up in Kate’s bed, mirroring how it had been once before. Already feeling the warmth, she smiled a little, but it didn’t last long. 

“I don’t want to be a burden.” 

Kate shook her head, stroking Rana’s cheek with her thumb. 

“I offered. And besides, you’ll never be a burden to me.” 

Instead of answering, Rana simply pulled Kate back towards her, who took that gesture as a yes and let out a deep sigh of relief. Gently kissing the top of Rana’s head. 

Michelle appeared from the back after a suspicious amount of time, causing the two girls to split at the speed of lightning. She seemed concerned, Kate’s phone charger swinging from her grasp. 

“Finally found it. You two alright out here?” 

They both nodded, Kate taking the cable and thanking Michelle.

“I’m going to walk Rana home.” 

The statement didn’t shock her. It wasn’t like Michelle had been listening to their entire conversation. She smiled and wished them both a goodnight, telling Kate she’d see her tomorrow. 

Kate grasped Rana’s hand, guiding her out of the building, and into the cold night air. It sobered Rana up even more, wrapping her arms around her torso momentarily, before they were replaced by a single hand that spread more warmth than she’d felt in months. Noticing the woman’s shiver, Kate quickly began walking, making Rana instantly observe that they were getting further and further away from her house. 

Kate took the keys out her pocket, the sound of metal clanging out in the hushed street. Rana clung to her arm, making it a little harder for Kate to open the door. 

She managed, eventually. 

Considering the flat was empty, they didn’t have to tiptoe around. Something Kate was grateful for when Rana’s heavy footsteps sounded around the room. She helped the woman take her coat off, hanging it up and observing how it looked like it belonged there. Right next to Kate’s fleece and jacket. 

She shook her head, it’s just a coat.

Kate turned and watched Rana, who’s eyes were flickering around the flat, drooping every now and then in a way that told Kate she was exhausted. Kate had memorised the cues, knowing exactly what Rana felt at any given moment. She got rid of the step that was between them, and began swirling a pattern along Rana’s palm, loving the twitch of her lips it brought with it. 

“Come on, I’ve got some spare pyjamas you can wear.” 

As she drew her hand back, Rana watched Kate walk away, knowing she was supposed to follow, but she couldn’t help staring. Kate spun on her heel when she noticed the lack of footsteps behind her, a smile on her face. 

“What you staring at me for?” 

It was playful, and made Rana’s heart ache. 

“I can’t help it.” The honesty scared her a little, but the feeling went away when Kate’s smile just widened and she rolled her eyes. 

Rana followed in the end, making her way to the all too familiar bedroom. It hadn’t changed, not one bit, apart from the extra clothes lying around the floor. 

But Kate never was one for cleaning. 

“Here. I’m sure these will fit you.” 

Kate threw Rana a pair of shorts and a baggy top. Rana knew when she put it on it would be slightly too revealing, but she was too tired to care at that point. 

Kate saw that Rana was shifting her weight, looking a little uncomfortable. 

“I can go get changed in the bathroom, if it makes you feel better?” 

“No don’t be silly, I’ll go.” 

She nodded, turning around to peel the black top off her frame. Rana walked out before she saw more than the skin of her lower back. 

When she slipped through the door for the second time, Kate’s hair was now up in a messy bun. Strands of hair framing her now make-up free face; Rana always thought she looked even more gorgeous without it anyway. Kate was leaning up against the headboard, the lamp beside her being the only light to fill up the small room. It made Rana nervous. 

But she was used to feeling nervous in this room. 

“Come here, I won’t bite.” She winked, not helping Rana’s constricting stomach.

Rana joined her under the sheets, loving how her tired body melted so easily into the mattress, as if it recognised her. 

She could already feel her eyes shutting, so Kate leaned over to switch off the sidelight, plunging the room into darkness. She shifted down until she was lying, head on the pillows, flat on her side. Rana was soon to follow, not entirely sure where she should position herself. Eventually settling for a similar placement as Kate. 

It wasn’t long before sleep began to take over her, relaxed by the sounds of Kate’s breaths close to her ear. They were impossibly softer than Zeedan’s snoring, and she found herself being lulled to sleep rather than harshly awoken. Before she drifted off, she felt an arm snake round her stomach. 

Rana found herself shifting closer, too tired to fully appreciate the feeling of Kate’s body pressed against hers. 

But knowing she would in the morning. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Rana’s eyes opened once again, this time they were filled with light, and she had to blink a few times before she remembered where she was. She tried to turn over, but realised an arm was wrapped around her, preventing her from doing so. A nose was buried deep in her hair, and the back of her knees connected with the front of someone else’s. 

It was a perfect fit. It was Kate. 

Instead of looking, she imagined how peaceful Kate appeared, snuggled into Rana with no space between them. Rana didn’t want to shift their position, and Kate was still sending long puffs of air into her ear, tickling the skin. 

It wasn’t long before she, too, woke. Though she didn’t just lift her head to greet Rana, she began to litter small kisses on the back of her neck, before speaking. 

It was too familiar and possibly too intimate, but Rana couldn’t bring herself to protest. 

“Morning. Did you sleep well?” 

Still in a slight daze from feeling Kate’s lips on her, it took Rana a few seconds to process the words. 

“Better than I have in a while. Thank you for letting me stay.” 

Her voice was quiet, rough in a way, and she could feel Kate smile against her. 

“Of course. I was worried I’d wake up, and you wouldn’t be here.” 

Suddenly Kate sounded more insecure than Rana had ever heard, at least heard for a long time. And she felt that all too familiar guilt begin to settle.

But the thing about Kate was, she had a way of making Rana forget about everything apart from the moment they were in. So the guilt disappeared. 

“Well, I don’t think I could leave even if I wanted to.” She joked, motioning to the arm still draped tightly over her stomach. 

Kate began to pull back, but Rana held her in place, turning around so they were finally facing each other. Kate was beautiful, hair messy and remnants of yesterday’s mascara under her eyes, Rana couldn’t keep her eyes off her. 

“I guess you’ll just have to stay here then.” 

She cuddled into the woman again, tucking her head into the dip between Rana’s shoulder and neck. Rana wished they could’ve stayed like that forever, content and happy and blissful. But their conversation from yesterday was playing on both their minds, stopping them from drifting off a second time. 

“Zeedan will probably be back at the house now, wondering where I am.”

If Kate hadn’t have stiffened and retracted from Rana’s grip at the mention of him, she might’ve heard the use of house instead of home. But she missed it. 

Rana Immediately needed the warmth back, and attempted to get closer to the woman who was currently sitting upright. 

“Do you want to go?” 

It wasn’t loud or demanding, it was quiet and almost painful to hear.

“Kate I-“

“Because if you do, don’t worry I understand. I mean it hurts to watch you walk away, it always does but-“ 

“Kate!” That stopped her rambling, and Rana was allowed to get a word in edgeways. “I don’t want to go, I just want to stay here with you. That’s all I’ve wanted since this entire situation began. And now...I just don’t know what to do. I want to tell Zee that it’s over between us, that I can’t hold up the deal anymore. But I’ll have to face my parents, and my family won’t want to speak to me again.” 

Kate stayed where she was, not reaching over to Rana like she so desperately wanted to do. She kept a distance, letting the woman voice her thoughts. 

“You’re worth everything Kate, and I want to be with you so badly, I do. But how do I tell Zee? I’m scared Kate.” 

She didn’t reply, she just leaned towards Rana, connecting her lips with hers and revelling in the fire it ignited. Rana kissed her back without hesitation, a moan rising in her throat that she barely managed to keep down. 

It had been so long. Too long. 

Kate’s lips trailed down her neck, and Rana felt her eyes begin to roll back. She practically whimpered when Kate pulled away.

“Then we’ll tell him together. If this is what you really want, I can be by your side whenever you want me to be.”

She copied Kate’s actions and pulled her back in, allowing herself to get lost in the feeling of Kate’s lips against hers. 

Prising herself from Kate and creating a bit of distance between them, Rana nodded. 

“Yes. This is what I really want. I’m not letting you go again Kate. I don’t think I could live with myself if I did.” 

“Lucky you don’t have to then.” 

Rana swore she never loved anything more than Kate’s smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deciding whether to write the scene where they tell Zee. 
> 
> Come yell at me on Twitter @fanofgaytvshows


	3. The Finale

She was nervous. 

Not the twiddling-thumbs, slight shake of the hands nervous. But the full blown, sick rising from her stomach, can barely function kind of nervous. 

It didn’t help that a few yards back, Kate was sitting in a car rather than standing by her side, and Rana suddenly wished she had insisted Kate be with her, holding her hand. But she could do this, she had to do this. It wasn’t fair to herself, nor to Kate, if she kept up this facade any longer. 

She turned her head to look, and saw Kate’s smile fall slightly, but it was still there. She returned it, giving both of them reassurance, and proceeded to step past the boundary of the Nazir household. 

“Zee?” Her voice rang out in the empty living room. “Zee are you in?” 

There was no reply, and Rana didn’t know whether she felt relieved or even sicker. She figured it couldn’t be long before he got home, checking the time, 10:38am. It would give her a chance to pack a few things, the necessities, and place her bag right next to Kate’s in the car boot. 

Kate had booked them a hotel room for the night, knowing Rana wouldn’t be able to face the rest of the street once she’d told Zeedan. It was to give both of them a break from the gossip, so they could just be with each other. No one knew where they were going, except for Carla, who’s car they were borrowing for a few days. 

Still recovering from the successful transplant, Carla insisted that she wasn’t planning on making any plans to escape the street. When Kate rang up that same morning, Carla didn’t hesitate, saying she understood and she’d be more than happy to lend them her car. 

She also didn’t tell Kate to “Go get ‘em girl” just before she hung up. 

Kate was nervous too, not as nervous of course, but still. Her leg was bouncing off the drivers seat as she watched Rana disappear through the door, taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the fireworks. 

Rana had managed to pack a small bag in a very short amount of time, a level of fear making her go faster. She listened out for the sound of a door opening, but it never came. 

She knew it was the cowards way out, to leave a note, but Rana would figure it all out later. In the meantime she just wanted out. Out of the house, out of the contract, out of Zee’s grasp. Her handwriting was messy, mostly due to her shaking fingers, but the message was legible. The pen was placed back on the paper, when the door opened. 

For a split second she thought it might be Kate, coming to see how she was getting along. But the strength with which the door was closed, told her otherwise. Her heart began to thump wildly beneath her chest, it was all she could hear. 

“Rana!? Sorry I’m back a bit late I was just-“

He stopped, both in his tracks and in his sentence. Rana was confused for a second, before she trailed his line of sight down to the bag still clutched in her hand. 

Her knuckles turned white. 

“What’s, what’s the bag for? Where are you going?” 

Rana opened her mouth to speak, but every word caught in her throat. Her gaze flickered to the window, hoping she could somehow catch a glimpse of Kate. But the angle was all wrong. 

“Zee I...” She took a deep breath. “I’m leaving. I can’t stay here anymore, I can’t be part of this contract, it’s inhumane. I want out, so I’m going.” 

The fluency of her words was a surprise, Rana expecting herself to either be broken off by tears, or to simply run past Zeedan and out the house. 

“You want out? You can’t just leave, that’s not part of the deal.” 

He took a step closer to Rana, who found herself taking one back. 

“The deal’s off.” 

As those words brushed her lips, she moved past Zeedan towards the front door. Though she found herself being spun back around as he grabbed hold of her arm, tightly. 

“Zee let go.” Her voice was beginning to fail her. 

“You think you can just walk out this house and I’ll be fine with it!? I’m your husband!” 

“This is barely a marriage Zee. You can’t keep me here.” 

His grip still didn’t loosen.

“You’re not going anywhere. Where would you even stay anyway? Alya won’t take you in, not when she finds out about all this. And how long you kept it from her.” 

The venom in his words made her recoil with shock. His eyes filled with rage in a way she had never seen before, and it made her pine for the woman sitting metres away in a car, it may as well have been miles. 

“I’m staying with Kate.” 

She wasn’t going to tell him, the note she’d left didn’t even mention her name. But it would all come out eventually, this way she got to control how it did. 

“I’m sorry, you’re staying with Kate Connor?” 

His hand tightened, and she could feel the skin beneath begin to bruise. 

“Let go of me.” 

“You’re telling me, that you’re running off with Kate!? The bitch who ruined our marriage!” 

Rana’s blood began to boil. He could call Rana whatever he wanted, she didn’t care, but when he started going after Kate, that’s where she drew the line. 

“Don’t speak about her like that, and she wasn’t the only one to ruin this marriage.” Each syllable was spat out with poison, but Zeedan wasn’t fazed. 

“You’re not going anywhere with her!” 

His nails began to dig into her skin, and tears of pain welled in her eyes. Her voice was cut off by the sound of the door opening yet again, causing her heart to beat even more rapidly than it had been.  
What if it was Yasmeen, or her parents, or...

“Hey! What are you doing let go of her!” 

It was Kate, and Rana swore she’d never been able to breathe better than in that moment. 

She had seen Zeedan walk into the house, her fingers gripping the steering wheel as she tried desperately to stay put. She was losing willpower, and the second she heard a raised voice, the car door swung open. She stormed towards the house, surprised she’d lasted as long as she had without barging in. 

Kate grabbed Zeedan’s hand, pulling it off Rana’s skin and placing distance between the two. Zeedan just scoffed and got closer to Kate. 

“Look Rana, it’s your knight in shining armour, come to save the day! Ha, pathetic. You two are pathetic!” 

Rana lowered her head, hating the way she was being scolded as if she was a child. Zeedan speaking with more hatred than she’d ever heard. But Kate didn’t back down, her chin lifting a little instead. 

“Call us whatever you want Zee, we’re leaving.” 

Before he could reach out and stop either one of them, Kate picked up Rana’s bag that had fallen from her grasp, took Rana’s hand gently, and walked out the door. 

Zeedan was hot on their trail, but they kept looking forward, ignoring the torrent of hate and anger that was tumbling past his lips. 

“Rana get back here! You’re my wife, we had a deal, you can’t just leave!” 

Hearing that sentiment, she turned to face Zeedan who was storming along the cobbled street towards their car. 

“Hey Zee! Catch.” 

Pulling the wedding ring off her finger, she threw it towards him, buying them a few seconds of time as he stopped to snatch it from the air. 

She opened the car boot and slung her luggage besides Kate’s, before making her way to the car door and slipping into the passenger seat. The second the door shut, Kate lifted her foot from the clutch and sped away. Zeedan’s shouts becoming mere mumbles in the distance. 

She focused on the road for a minute or two, before hearing soft sniffles from the seat beside her. Not wanting to wait till they arrived, Kate pulled over as soon as she could. Switching off the engine. 

“Rana. Are you okay?” 

Her gaze trailed down to her arm, where the skin was beginning to bruise, so Kate began to draw soft touches in order to comfort the distraught woman beside her. 

“I’m fine, I just...” Tears swept down her cheeks. “What are we going to do Kate? After tonight, we have no plans and I don’t think I can go back to that street. I can’t face everyone.” 

Kate took Rana’s hands in hers, making Rana’s eyes lift up to meet her gaze. 

“Then we’ll figure something out, together. I’m not leaving you again Rana, you’re stuck with me now.” 

It was an attempt at humour, and it graced Rana with a smile. 

“I can’t think of anything better.” 

Kate’s heart swelled, and she leaned over to plant a short but sweet kiss on Rana’s lips. Brushing a few tears away in the process. 

They sat there for a second or two more, before Kate asked Rana if she was ready. Receiving a nod in reply, Kate pulled off from the curb and continued along their journey. Her eyes flickering to Rana’s finally happy expression. 

They would figure it all out. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*EPILOGUE - Four Months Later*

 

Zeedan had moved out of the house, and effectively out of the street, 2 weeks after Rana had drove off with Kate. Moving into the small flat above his café, much to the dismay of Yasmeen who now was the sole owner and resident of the Nazir household. 3 weeks after that, he received a large envelope in the post. Divorce papers. 

He posted them the next day. 

Rana let out a deep breath when she realised she was finally free from the Nazir name. Legally changing it back to Habeeb, and occasionally wondering how her name would sound double-barrelled. Not that she talked to Kate about these thoughts. 

She had also officially moved into Kate’s flat. Alya, had officially moved out. They kept in contact, just barely. After Alya found out about her and Kate, it was radio silence for a few weeks, before things gradually returned to almost normal. It wouldn’t be the same though, Alya’s trust in Rana had plummeted. 

She wasn’t speaking to Kate either. 

It was a pot hole in an otherwise smooth road, not that it wasn’t bumpy in the beginning. Word spread like wildfire and they were the talk of the street for a little while, Kate’s family often coming to her defence when the whispers got too loud. They defended Rana as well, something for which she was very grateful. 

Zeedan hadn’t visited the street since, cutting all ties apart from the odd contact with Yasmeen. Rana was glad in a way, but most of the time she just felt guilty. Kate helped it go away, whether it was just a smile, or a touch of the hand, she could make Rana’s anguish disappear in a matter of seconds. It was a power that managed to surprise Rana every time. 

It always would. 

She had become accustomed to Kate’s grip on her when she was sleeping. Kate was a cuddler, the big spoon, and Rana loved nothing more than being in her arms. It brought a level of comfort that mere months ago, she never thought she’d get to experience again. She told Kate this, who in response pulled her into her grasp and apologised for not get Rana out of that situation sooner. Rana shook her head, telling Kate it wasn’t her fault and it didn’t matter anymore. 

Kate had come home late one night after a long shift at the bistro, collapsed on the sofa next to Rana, and cuddled into her side. 

“You okay? Tough shift?” 

She turned down the volume on the TV and pulled Kate even closer, ready to listen. 

“I can’t stand Friday nights. We’re always understaffed and there’s always too many people.” 

Kate kicked off her shoes, allowing her feet to lift up onto the couch along with the rest of her body. 

“Well it’s over now, you can relax.” Rana kissed the side of Kate’s head, loving the way the other woman’s eyes fluttered shut at the affection. 

Kate snuggled closer to Rana rather than verbally replying, and Rana lifted an arm around her shoulder. Her lips grazed Kate’s forehead, and she peered down to see Kate practically fast asleep. 

Just looking at her, Rana knew she had everything she’d ever wanted in life, and nothing that she’d ever expected to have. Kate Connor was something else entirely, and the love that she held for the sleeping woman, was almost too much to bear. 

“I want to marry you. One day.” She whispered. 

It was barely audible, but Kate’s ears picked up on it. Unfortunately, her mind was too tired to fully process what Rana had said, at least that’s what Rana thought when hearing her reply.

“Not tonight honey, I’ve got work in the morning.” 

Rana had to hold in her laugh, not wanting to disturb Kate. The brunette’s response was a sign of how tired she really was, and Rana doubted Kate would remember her saying it in the morning. 

“But yes, I want to marry you too. One day.” 

Rana looked down again, and saw the smirk that had formed on Kate’s face. She just chuckled and held Kate in her arms. 

They had figured it all out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading guys!! If you have any Kana prompts you want me to write, hit me up on twitter ;) @fanofgaytvshows


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